How many file formats (types) can PowerPoint 2011 save to? If you count every single format
from the necessary to the irrelevant (and forget the missing ones), then the number is 20 file formats for PowerPoint 2011 for Mac, the latest Mac
version of this program! Some of these could be genuinely helpful for non-conventional reasons, GIF, JPG,
PNG, ensure that you get good graphic outputs, and RTF outlines can be a boon sometimes.
When you access the Save As dialog in PowerPoint 2011, you can choose the file type you want to save your active presentation as (see
Figure 1).
Figure 1: Save as type
Have you ever wondered what all these file types are? The file formats in PowerPoint 2011 are divided into two sections, and they are explained below:
Common Formats
- PPTX (PowerPoint Presentation), This file type is the default save option in PowerPoint 2011 (and PowerPoint 2008). It is
based on XML and can be distinctly identified as different from the older file formats for PowerPoint because it has four letters rather than three, for
example PPTX rather than the older PPT format.
- PPT (PowerPoint 97–2004 Presentation), This file type was the default format for presentations created in PowerPoint versions
2004 and earlier. Most of the time, this is known as the PowerPoint 97 to 2004 format.
- POTX (PowerPoint Template), This file type saves presentations as a template that you can use as a starter for future
presentations. This file format works with PowerPoint 2008 and subsequent versions of PowerPoint (such as PowerPoint 2011).
- POT (PowerPoint 97–2004 Template), This file type saves your presentation as a template, suitable to use within PowerPoint 97 to 2004. You can still
open and use these in newer versions of PowerPoint.
- MOV (Movie), This file type save your presentations as a QuckTime movie.
- PDF (Portable Document Format), This file type saves your presentation as an Adobe PDF file. PDFs cannot be opened and edited
like normal PowerPoint files once saved.
Specialty Formats
- PPSX (PowerPoint Show), This file type saves presentations as a slide show. In all respects this is the same as a PPTX file, but
when double-clicked, this opens in Slide Show view rather than Normal view.
See our PPT vs. PPS (or PPTX vs. PPSX) article to understand the differences better.
- PPS (PowerPoint 97–2004 Show), This file type saves presentations as a slide show in PowerPoint 97 to 2004, in all respects
this is the same as a PPT file, but when double-clicked, this opens in Slide Show view rather than Normal view. See our PPT vs. PPS (or PPTX vs. PPSX) article to understand the differences better.
- PPTM (PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Presentation), This is identical to the PPTX file format other than the fact that file type
saves presentations with macros enabled.
- POTM (PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Template), This file type saves presentation as a template in the same way as POTX files,
but with macros enabled.
- PPSM (PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Show), This file type saves presentation as a slide show with macros enabled, and works in the
same way as PPSX files.
- RTF (Outline / Rich Text Format), This file type saves the presentation as an outline in Rich Text Format, which you can
open in Microsoft Word. This only includes text that is contained within the
text placeholders as opposed to text boxes.
- THMX (Office Theme), This file type saves presentation as a theme that includes colors, fonts, and effects. Such
Office Theme files can also be used within Word, Excel, and other Office applications to impart a
standard look to all your documents.
- PPAM (PowerPoint Add-In), This file type saves presentations as an add-in that includes custom commands or VBA code.
- PPA (PowerPoint 98–2004 Add-In), This file type saves presentations as an add-in that you can open in PowerPoint 98 to 2004.
Typically used in PowerPoint 2004 or earlier versions.
- JPEG (JPEG File Interchange Format), This file type saves individual slides from the presentation as JPEG graphic files you
can use on the web or open in an image editing application.
- PNG (Portable Network Graphics Format), This file type saves individual slides from the presentation as PNG graphic files you
can use on the web or open in an image editing application.
- GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), This file type saves individual slides from the presentation as GIF graphic files you can use on the web or open in an image editing application. These GIFs are static GIFs and not animated ones. Animated GIF exports are available in PowerPoint 365 versions.
- BMP (Device Independent Bitmap), This file type saves individual slides from the presentation as BMP graphic files.
- TIFF (Tag Image File Format), This file type saves individual slides from the presentation as TIFF graphic files you can use
for print processing or open in an image editing application.
